The Bodyguard

11.

"God, that was a shitshow," said Leslie as the four filed into the green room provided for them.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked walking behind Jasper into the room.

Jasper briefly made eye contact with Ace as they entered, who was silent now, but probably mingling with some people from Karla's team beforehand. Ace's charm and approachability is what made people gravitate towards him. He was a social butterfly in the way he knew people would naturally feel comfortable starting a conversation with him. 

Maybe his flirty nature did have a bit to do with it; Jasper realized this from the moment they'd met, and showed his disdain for it ever since. Perhaps the blond was just a pessimist, but regardless, he didn't understand why or how Ace had the patience to to strike up polite conversation with civilians.

Ace noticed a brief flash of something on Jasper's face, before his expression shifted to one of indifference that he wore daily. The guard had undoubtedly watched everything that just happened on the flatscreen which was broadcasting live.

Their eyes detached from one another's, but Ace's mind still flashed to their interaction earlier today, or every interaction for that matter. Jasper was unnervingly cruel, Ace confirmed that much by now. 

So why did the guard constantly feel the need to challenge Jasper's attitude and harsh remarks? His unwelcoming personality would have pushed any normal person away, but for Ace it drew him in. He saw Jasper for what he was since the moment they met, and even then, still had this fiery urge to unravel the enigma that was Jasper White.

Attraction was a simple thing really, but Ace knew it was something more than that. Never mind the fact Jasper looks like he belonged in a museum, Ace was never one to be enamored off of looks alone, this allurement he felt, had to be something more.

It didn't matter anyway, because that's all it ever would be. Allurement, curiosity, attraction, magnetism.

Jasper's fiery resentment for he guard was bordering on full blown hate, and when he hated someone, he never put much energy into it. He would let it go unnoticed in his mind at first, only to let that hatred fester until it became catastrophic. 

"I thought all the questions were supposed to be approved beforehand?" Leslie aimed her question toward their mom. 

"They were," Karla says, probably already thinking of damage control, or how she was going to skew this to the media in her favor. "Someone must have tipped her off."

"Bryce," Leslie added with a scoff. Two couches were facing each other in the middle of the room, and she took a seat next to Jasper who looked unnervingly calm and collected despite all that happened. "I don't understand how he found out, it happened almost two years ago."

Jasper looked at his older brother across the room accusingly. He didn't think Lucas would be careless enough to let anything slip to Bria, but he could never be too sure of what was shared during their late night hookups. In response, Lucas gave him a warning look, pleading with his eyes for Jasper not to mention anything.

"It doesn't matter," Jasper spoke up finally, ceasing some of the anxious chatter that was going on in the room. His mom, who was pacing, occasionally saying something to her publicist, shot him an incredulous look.

"It doesn't matter?" Karla's eyes zeroed in on her son. "Do you know how bad this looks for us? For the campaign?"

"What? That you have a junkie for a son?" Jasper quipped. "How ever will you recover?"

If the room was filled with low murmurs before, it was silent now. Jasper had just confirmed it for everyone in the room, and Karla was fuming. There was no denying it now.